Wire-splicing machine.



vR. WfWISE & W. H. JONES.

WIRE SPLIGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0QT.14', 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY W. WISE, OF SMITH MILLS, AND WILMER II. JONES, OF HENDERSON, KENTUCKY.

WIRE-SPLIGING MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed October 14, 1907. Serial No. 397,308.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROY lV. l/VISE and lVILMER H. JONES, citizens of the United States, residing at Smith Mills and Henderson, respectively, in the county of Henderson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Splicing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates in general to an im provement in wire twisting and splicing machines and specifically to one adapted to splice the free ends of two strands of wire or the like in a compact, strong joint.

The main object of the invention isthe production of a machine of the class described which shall comprise few parts of simple construction and which shall be capalole of forming rapidly and positively splices of varying lengths, as may be desired.

The invention will now be described in the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of our improved splicing machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the ratchet wheels and connected parts, showing the position of the wires immediately prior to forming tne splice, and Fig. at is a broken perspective of the wire clamp and the lower end of the ratchet-actuating lever.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, 1 denotes the frame of the machine, comprising two forwardly-extending journal arms 2, connected at their rear ends by cross-brace 3. The lat ter supports a wire-clamp 4, comprising members 5 and 6, the former of which is rigidly attached to cross-brace 3 and formed with a longitudinal aperture 7 in which is pivotally hung, through the medium of pivot-pin 8, the coacting member 6 of said clamp. The member 5 is provided on its forward end with jaw 9 formed in its lower face with transverse groove 10, said jaw being adapted, when in operative position,

to abut jaw 11 formed on the forward end of member 6 and provided with a similar transverse groove 12 in its upper face, the two grooves being positioned to aline when the jaws are closed.

The forward ends of arms 2 are transversely and centrally bored near their outer extremities and formed with slots 13, ex tending from the extreme outer ends of said arms back to and opening into said bores, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Loosely journaled in the bores of arms 2 and capable of rotation therein are wireguiding shafts 14 adapted for sliding move ment in their respective bearings and formed throughout their lengths with longitudinal slots 15 extending approximately midway into the body of the shafts, as shown in Fig. 2. These shafts are squared on their inner ends, as at 16, on which are fixedly attached ratchet wheels 17, the teeth of either wheel being set in a direction reverse to that of the teeth of the other, said wheels being designed to rotate in opposite directions with their respective shafts. Said ratchet wheels are formed with wire-receiving slots 18, positioned to aline with slots 15 in shafts 14;, said wheel slots extending the entire thickness of the wheels and from their peripheries to their central shaft-receiving openings.

19 denotes retaining clips securely attached to, and, for a portion of their width, spaced from, the inner face of the ratchet wheels and are designed to receive and retain in desired fixed position the extreme ends of the strands of wire intended to be spliced, said ends being passed between the ratchet wheels and that portion of the clips spaced from them, said portion lying immediately adjacent the slots 15 in shafts 14c. Locking caps 20, formed with slots 21, snugly encircle the outer ends of the shafts 14 and are adapted for manual rotation thereon and are designed to prevent the strands of wire from being accidentally displaced after insertion in the shafts, as will be later explained. A pair of brake dogs 22 pivotally attached to arms 2, normally engage in succession the teeth of their respective ratchet wheels in their revolution and prevent back slip thereof, being held to proper contact therewith under tension of springs 23, attached to arms 2.

2st denotes a ratchet-actuating lever, slotted at its lower end, as at 25, to embrace the jaw 9 to which it is pivotally connected, as shown, which lever extends rearwardly and upwardly from the member 5, the upper face of which the rear lower edge of slot 25 abuts, thus limiting the movement of said lever in a downward direction. A pair of pawls 26 are revolubly mounted on headed axles formed integral with axle block 27,

rigidly attached to the lever 24 and are designed to extend in different directions and engage the teeth of their respective ratchet wheels and impart motion thereto in opposite directions by the alternate forward and rearward throw of said lever.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The ratchet wheels are turned until their slots 18 are in alinement with slots 13 of the arms 2. One of the two strands of wire desired to be spliced is then passed through the alined slots, between the alined grooves in the jaws of the clamp and its end passed behind the spaced portion of the clip 19 on that ratchet wheel on that side of the clamp opposite to the point of entry of the wire, as shown in Fig. 3 wherein 2S denotes the wire in the position just described, 29 denoting the remaining strand passed through the alined slots of the other shaft and ratchet wheel. Said remaining strand is also passed between the grooves in the jaws of the clamp and anchored behind the clip 011 the other ratchet wheel. The locking caps 20- are then turned until their slots 21 are out of alinement with slots 15 of the shafts 14, thus preventing accidental displacement of the wires from said shafts. Pawls 26 are then permitted to engage the teeth of their respective ratchet wheels, the clamp jaws are firmly pressed together, thereby holding that portion of the two wires in their grooves stationary, when, as obvious, by operation of lever 24, opposite motion is imparted to the two ratchet wheels, resulting in the twisting of that portion of the two wires between the clamp and one ratchet wheel in one direction and the twisting of that portion between the clamp and the other ratchet wheel in the other direction and producing a double twisted splice, the adjustability of the shafts and their respective ratchet wheels in the bore of the arms 2 transversely of the same permitting the forming of varying lengths of splice as may be desired.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wire splicing machine comprising a frame, a wire receiving shaft mounted in each end of the frame, a ratchet wheel fixed on each shaft, a wire clamp arranged between the ratchets, and means carried by the ratchets for retaining in fixed position the terminals of the respective wires in predetermined distance from each other.

2. A wire splicing machine comprising a frame, a wire receiving shaft mounted in each end of the frame, a ratchet wheel fixed on each shaft, a wire clamp arranged be tween the ratchets, and wire engaging clips carried by and spaced from the ratchets to maintain the wire terminals in fixed position.

3. A wire splicing machine including a frame, arms projecting from the frame, a receiving shaft mounted in each arm, a ratchet fixed on each shaft, a wire clamping means, a lever mounted on the frame, and ratchet-operating pawls carried by the lever.

L. A wire twisting machine including a frame, arms projecting in parallel spaced relation from the frame, a longitudinally slitted receiving shaft mounted in each arm, a ratchet fixed on each shaft, wire clamping means arranged between the ratchets, a lever mounted on the frame, and ratchet operating pawls carried by the lever.

5. A wire twisting machine including a frame, arms projecting in parallel spaced relation therefrom, a longitudinally slitted hollow shaft mounted in each arm, each of said arms being formed with a slit to register and communicate with the slit in the shaft in one position of the latter, a ratchet carried on each shaft, said ratchets being each formed with a radial slit to communicate at all times with the slit in the shaft, wire clamping means disposed between the ratchets, and ratchet operating means mounted on the frame.

6. A wire twisting machine comprising a frame, longitudinally alined receiving shafts adjustably mounted in the frame, slitted locking caps revolubly mounted on the ends of the shafts,a ratchet mounted on each shaft, the teeth of said ratchets being reversely disposed, a wire clamp arranged between the ratchets, a lever mounted on the frame, oppositely-acting ratchet-operating means carried by the lever, and wire engaging clips carried by the ratchets. D

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

ROY WV. WISE. VILMER H. JONES.

lVitnesses C. \V. RANKIN, S. B. MAYER. 

